Method and apparatus for opening and reflanging cans



METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND REFLANGING CANS Filed Jan. 29, 1948 I I Inventor zo JJQ/aiiea M0 I Attorneyg Patented June 12, `1951 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND REFLANGING CAN S Joseph Mathieu, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application January 29, 1948, Serial No. 5,105

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for opening and reanging cans.

More specifically, the apparatus of this invention constitutes a can opener which is clamped in cutting position on a can and rotated there# around to remove the lid and end rim thereof, at the same time reflanging the end of the can.,

Ordinarily, can openers cut through the lid or cover, the end rim being left on the can. Cans so opened may be diflicult to reseal with a new lid, for most, if not all, can sealing operations require that the open end have a smooth, outwardly-flanged periphery. This is an especially serious drawback to those who do a great deal of home canning, for, in the interests of economy, it is desirable that a single can be usable many times prior to being discarded.

The main object, then, of the present invention is to provide a method of opening cans which will render same suitable for resealing.

Another important object is to provide a can opener which opens one end of a can in such a way as to facilitate resealing the latter.

Yet another important object is to provide a can opener of the type set forth which may be readily arranged in working position on a can and is easily manipulated in operation.

Another object resides in the provision of Va ,can opener of thecharacter described which is simple in design and foolproof in operation.

And still another object resides in the provision of a can opener as set forth above which may be easily and relatively cheaply manufactured.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent, or be further pointed out, in the description to follow.

As an example, and for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the annexed drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the can opener of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows an end elevation view;

Fig. 3 shows a detail side elevation View of the operating end; .y

Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal sectional elevation view of the opener as applied to a can for working purposes, and

Fig. 5 shows a detail sectional elevation of the cutting and driving members of the can opener in operative position relative to a can.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein the same reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout, the tool of the invention will be applied to a can indicated at C and consists 3 Claims. (Cl. 30-15.5)

generally of a pair of pivotally-connected levers I0 and II, a can-engaging apron and a tool- 'I manipulating means carried by one of these rwith a grasping handle, respectively, I2 and I3, 'on one end and a laterally-projecting plate,

respectively, I4 and I5, on the other end thereof. The outer portions of the plates overlap and are pivotally connected as by bolt I6 and nut I'I.

Bolted, or otherwise secured, to lever I0 and extending downwardly and forwardly from the handle thereof,is a bracket I8. This bracket is bent into a member I9, parallel to and spaced from plates I4 and I5, which has an integral depending apron 20. The apron 20 is arcuately curved laterally so as to co-operate with and abut the surface of a can C, and depends at an acute angle to bracket member I9 for a purpose hereinafter described. In addition an upstanding, hooked lug 2|* is provided at each upper end of the apron in order to engage the end flange of a can.

The manipulating means for the tool consists of a shaft 22 journalled upright in lever I0 and having keyed thereto, on opposite sides of the lever, Va lower pinion 23 and an upper, winged, actuating-knob 24. The pinion 23 is adapted to engage the outer surface of a can when the tool is in operative position relative thereto. Manual rotation of knob v24 will thus cause correspond- Ving rotation of pinion `23 which, owing to the vwards the downwardly-bent end-portion of This apron, by contacting the wall of the can C will also serve to maintain the tool in proper angular position relative to the can.

In describing the operation of the tool of this invention, it is assumed that it will be utilized with cans constructed along the general lines indicated in Fig. 5. Thus the lid L of the can is sealed into an upstanding, flanged rim R.4 Such sealing is usually obtained by placing a flat lid over anput'wardly-curved, flanged rim and roll*`` ing the two together in a special machine. Thus, to open a can in such a way as to facilitate refe sealing thereof, it is necessary to'fremoveboth lid L and rim R, and to form a new, outwardly# curved, hanged, periphery below rim R. In order that a desired result be accomplished, it is necessary that the upper cutting-"edgeV of cut-- ter l25 pierce the can just below rim R when the tool is in operative position. To this endylugs 2i, bracket member lsf-Fand cutter 25 are all spaced a-t appropriate levels below the plates lli and 'I5 vof the levers. Pinion 23 is also spaced be'- low lever H3' at'a distance which, when thev tool isY appliedt'o a can, renders the pinion 13o-opera"- ble with, and abutting against, the outer surface of r-im- R just above the cutter. As the pinion is rotated'to drive the tool around the can, the rim and 'lid are removed by the cutter and the new uppermost periphery of the can is formed into a smooth, outwardly-curved iiange 3D.

. es a further feature Aof the invention, it may be `considereddesirable to positively rotate cutter 25 as the tool is displaced around the can. For this'purpose, a pinion 32 may be keyed to shaft 22 just below lever le, and another pinion 33 may be` formed integral with the upper portion of cutter 25 in order to co-operate with the former. rIhus manual rotation of shaft 22 will drive the cutter through pinions *32 and 33.

Clearly the present invention fulfills the objectives hereinbefore set forth and hence represents an advance in can-opening devices. In the course of removing the lid of the can, it also cuts away the flange in which the former was sealed and forms a new, outwardlyecurved rim particularly required for most can sealing machinery. In spite of this multiple-function operation,- the opener isboth simple in design and easily constructed. To be applied to a can, the opener need onlyv have the apron thereof placed in position before the grasping handles l2 and I3 are squeezed together. This squeezing of the handles gives suicient leverage to enable the cutter to pierce the can below rim R and to separate the lid from the'rirn. The manipulation of the de'- vice is obtained simply by manual rotation of knob 24.

Being of simple construction, the can opener will not readily get out of order or fail in its functions. And, since none of the parts require acc'urate machining or special manufacturing technique, the device may be easily and cheaply produced in large quantities.

Examination'o'f the particular embodiment of my can-opening tool herein shown and described will reveal that a great many changes might be incorporatedtherein without departing from the spirit of the invention. The description of the operation and function of the tool serves to show that the main working elements thereof are the cutter 25 and the Ycurved junction of bracket member I9 and apron 2U. Whilst the incorporae tion of the can-engaging members into an apron would appear to be a most economical arrangement, nonetheless it is seen that the curved junction noted above actually constitutes a form of anvil with which the cutting member co-operates to bend back and flange the end of a can. Obviously this anvil might be made independent from the can-engaging members which only serve to adjust the tool in'place. "hus an equivalent anvil might adopt the form of a rotatable roller having a rounded periphery extending forward from bracket; fmember I9. In such a case the lugs 2I"andlapron 20 might be replaced by any equivalent means depending from lever l0.

Therefore, it may be emphasized that various changes may be made in the size, shape and arfirst of said levers, a can 'engaging apron depend ing at an acute angle 'from the free end of said bracket member, said apron laterally curved to correspond to the surface ofa can and `having upstanding lugs 'engageable with the end periphery of a` can, a shaft journalled upright in the first lever and having keyed thereto, respectively, a manipulating pinion below and an actuating knob above said lever, said'pinion''frictionallyv engageable with the outer surface'of` thev en'd periphery of the'a'n and'rotatablev 'with said knob to drive the t'ol around thev can, a 'pin depending fromv ythe second lever, and a circularY cutter having a downwardly tapered surface and rotatably mounted on'said pin and located'in co-operat'ive relation-ship with the apron 'atthe point 'where the latter depends from the bracket member whereby said cutter is adapted to pierce the can below the end periphery thereof and said tapered surface adaptedto fold a portion of the can over the top of the apron when said levers are squeezed together in operative position.

2. In a can opening tool as claimed in claim l, a gear wheel formed "on said cutter above the cutting portion thereof and ansecond gear wheel keyed to said shaft above Said pinion, and said gear wheels cin-operable so that rotation of the shaft causes corresponding rotation of the'cuttcn 3. In a can opening tool asclaimed in claim l, meansV connecting said shaft and said cutter whereby rotation of vtheformer causes corresponding rotati'nof the latter.

Jos''P'ri MATHIEU.

REFERENCES' CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

